Curling Irons, Phone Chargers, Corkscrews, Clothes and Adult Toys

Friends are considering putting in an offer for an inn (location left out to protect the innocent)
Wanting to see every nook and cranny, they saw a storage room piled with boxes. The realtor said she was told it was light switch covers and plumbing supplies, things like that. Well - that could be helpful - so my friends took a closer look.
It isn't light switch covers and plumbing supplies.
The boxes are all things left behind over the YEARS by guests ... not sorted by when the guest stayed or the room they stayed in ... in case they called and said 'hey I left behind my xyz'
The boxes are all of like items. Boxes of curling irons. Boxes of chargers. Boxes of corkscrews and wine corks. Boxes of socks and underclothes.
And the toys are sorted by COLOR. Blue toys. Pink toys. Multi-color toys. Not sure of color toys. (Yes, the box is labeled this way)
Yard sale? NOT!
This is one of the weirdest things I've ever heard. Wondering if there was a Norman Bates running the place for a while.

If it's not claimed in 30 days, it will never be claimed. Charity bin time.

i don't get much left - if I catch it quick enough I phone in case they havn't gone too far or often people have popped into town shopping so can easily get back - otherwise its 3 months then charity shop

Well that was a good Friday night chuckle!

Morticia, I do wonder if the previous owners know what the toys are. I also wonder what they were thinking of doing with them all. It's just so odd. Boxes and boxes of things, all used, all in various conditions, some quite dirty. I had to tease them if they saw any animal heads mounted around the place or paintings in odd places to get OUT of there. I laughed but it gives me the creeps.

seashanty said:

Morticia, I do wonder if the previous owners know what the toys are. I also wonder what they were thinking of doing with them all. It's just so odd. Boxes and boxes of things, all used, all in various conditions, some quite dirty. I had to tease them if they saw any animal heads mounted around the place or paintings in odd places to get OUT of there. I laughed but it gives me the creeps..

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my problem is space - just not storing all that crap - and why would you want to?

seashanty said:

Morticia, I do wonder if the previous owners know what the toys are. I also wonder what they were thinking of doing with them all. It's just so odd. Boxes and boxes of things, all used, all in various conditions, some quite dirty. I had to tease them if they saw any animal heads mounted around the place or paintings in odd places to get OUT of there. I laughed but it gives me the creeps..

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Some people just save everything.
When we walked thru here we were a little surprised that there didn't seem to be any 'stuff' anywhere. Then we found out they hired everything out. So, no lawn mower, no snow blower, no garden tools, no tools at all!
We had to add a shed to store all our outside stuff Andshelves in the Attic for extra linens. And shelves in the laundry for towels.

LOL! Thank you for the giggles! That is very bizarre.
I've only had chargers and clothing left behind, and like Jcam, if it's been less than an hour since they left, I call right away hoping to catch them while they're still in town. If they call or email inquiring about their lost item and they were great guests, I'll mail it free of charge. If they were PITAs, I tell them I'll mail it if they pay $25 for shipping and handling. I explain that this fee covers the time it takes for me to find a box or envelope to ship it, the time to run to the post office, and then the cost of the postage. I've only had 1 person take me up on the $25, the rest have told me never mind, the charger or sweater isn't worth $25. (and apparently my time isn't worth $25!)

notAgrandma said:

LOL! Thank you for the giggles! That is very bizarre.
I've only had chargers and clothing left behind, and like Jcam, if it's been less than an hour since they left, I call right away hoping to catch them while they're still in town. If they call or email inquiring about their lost item and they were great guests, I'll mail it free of charge. If they were PITAs, I tell them I'll mail it if they pay $25 for shipping and handling. I explain that this fee covers the time it takes for me to find a box or envelope to ship it, the time to run to the post office, and then the cost of the postage. I've only had 1 person take me up on the $25, the rest have told me never mind, the charger or sweater isn't worth $25. (and apparently my time isn't worth $25!).

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It may be unique to our town, but there is a pack and ship shop that works with lodging properties, if a guest leaves an item worthy of shipping, it can be dropped off on our next trip to town and the shop will contact the guest and pack and ship for a fee. I figure it saves my time and if the guest doesn't like the fee it is not me that they are unhappy about.

JimBoone said:

notAgrandma said:

LOL! Thank you for the giggles! That is very bizarre.
I've only had chargers and clothing left behind, and like Jcam, if it's been less than an hour since they left, I call right away hoping to catch them while they're still in town. If they call or email inquiring about their lost item and they were great guests, I'll mail it free of charge. If they were PITAs, I tell them I'll mail it if they pay $25 for shipping and handling. I explain that this fee covers the time it takes for me to find a box or envelope to ship it, the time to run to the post office, and then the cost of the postage. I've only had 1 person take me up on the $25, the rest have told me never mind, the charger or sweater isn't worth $25. (and apparently my time isn't worth $25!).

Click to expand...

It may be unique to our town, but there is a pack and ship shop that works with lodging properties, if a guest leaves an item worthy of shipping, it can be dropped off on our next trip to town and the shop will contact the guest and pack and ship for a fee. I figure it saves my time and if the guest doesn't like the fee it is not me that they are unhappy about.
.

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I like that. Wonderful idea.

Well, at least the adult toys weren't sorted by color and SIZE. LOL

We've only had one thing left behind and that was an earing. Most of our guests make the bed and have everything picked up and organized when we check the room after they have left.

MNVineyardBB said:

Well, at least the adult toys weren't sorted by color and SIZE. LOL

We've only had one thing left behind and that was an earing. Most of our guests make the bed and have everything picked up and organized when we check the room after they have left..

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A couple years ago I found an earring in a room and put it on the mantle in the storage room to see if the owner would contact me. Last Fall, when rehearsal season began, the flute player who stays here on rehearsal nights and I were chaatting and somehow earrings came up. She said she had lost one of her favorites a while ago but had no clue where she lost it. I asked what it looked like snd we then went upstairs to the storage room (she is one of few people who has seen it and can leave things in it). It was her earring. She was amazed that I had not only found it, but still had it.

Occasionally, when something gets left behind, I call the guest and ask them to send me a prepaid box or envelope, (I live 45 minutes from the nearest post office) and then I drop in the mail the next time I go into town.
Very few take me up on this so I guess it isn't worth the cost and trouble.

Skipping over the weirdness of these folks and their storage habits ... I kept things about a week, maybe two. Then they got donated, recycled or discarded ... depending. I tended to hold onto kids' lost items for a bit longer.
If it was something of obvious value, usually I got a call right away from the guest and we arranged shipping.

seashanty said:

Skipping over the weirdness of these folks and their storage habits ... I kept things about a week, maybe two. Then they got donated, recycled or discarded ... depending. I tended to hold onto kids' lost items for a bit longer.
If it was something of obvious value, usually I got a call right away from the guest and we arranged shipping..

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Except the chargers. We keep the chargers for guests who forget to bring their chargers. We call it our collection.

JimBoone said:

notAgrandma said:

LOL! Thank you for the giggles! That is very bizarre.
I've only had chargers and clothing left behind, and like Jcam, if it's been less than an hour since they left, I call right away hoping to catch them while they're still in town. If they call or email inquiring about their lost item and they were great guests, I'll mail it free of charge. If they were PITAs, I tell them I'll mail it if they pay $25 for shipping and handling. I explain that this fee covers the time it takes for me to find a box or envelope to ship it, the time to run to the post office, and then the cost of the postage. I've only had 1 person take me up on the $25, the rest have told me never mind, the charger or sweater isn't worth $25. (and apparently my time isn't worth $25!).

Click to expand...

It may be unique to our town, but there is a pack and ship shop that works with lodging properties, if a guest leaves an item worthy of shipping, it can be dropped off on our next trip to town and the shop will contact the guest and pack and ship for a fee. I figure it saves my time and if the guest doesn't like the fee it is not me that they are unhappy about.
.

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At the NE Inn it was the same way. Just bring them the item, name, and phone number. They did all the rest of it.

TheBeachHouse said:

seashanty said:

Skipping over the weirdness of these folks and their storage habits ... I kept things about a week, maybe two. Then they got donated, recycled or discarded ... depending. I tended to hold onto kids' lost items for a bit longer.
If it was something of obvious value, usually I got a call right away from the guest and we arranged shipping..

Click to expand...

Except the chargers. We keep the chargers for guests who forget to bring their chargers. We call it our collection.
.

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TheBeachHouse said:

Except the chargers. We keep the chargers for guests who forget to bring their chargers. We call it our collection.

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Dozens of them. Guests are so thankful.

Morticia said:

TheBeachHouse said:

seashanty said:

Skipping over the weirdness of these folks and their storage habits ... I kept things about a week, maybe two. Then they got donated, recycled or discarded ... depending. I tended to hold onto kids' lost items for a bit longer.
If it was something of obvious value, usually I got a call right away from the guest and we arranged shipping..

Click to expand...

Except the chargers. We keep the chargers for guests who forget to bring their chargers. We call it our collection.
.

Click to expand...

TheBeachHouse said:

Except the chargers. We keep the chargers for guests who forget to bring their chargers. We call it our collection.

Click to expand...

Dozens of them. Guests are so thankful.
.

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i have the charger thingy with 10 charger ends. Had guests recently that had a REALLY old phone who were hopeful one of them would work. Nope none fit.